CultureLab places artists in social institutions that work with children and teenagers outside school settings. For example, the education programme includes open youth work, half-way houses, and residential projects for people who have been displaced or are unhoused, as well as institutions offering in-patient care and partial hospitalisation measures for young people. This brings the young people face to face with culture and art. The artists undertake creative activities with them, encouraging them to try things out and take new steps. It is a process that equips them to deal with their emotions and experiences, which in turn reinforces their resilience and self-determination. CultureLab promotes cultural and social participation, offering a range of activities that focus on dance, fine art, music, theatre, digital media, and language/creative writing. Participation is free of charge, both for the institutions and for the children and teenagers.

CultureLab offers activities in the fields of dance, visual arts, music, theatre, digital media and language/creative writing. From staging their own theatre scenes to exploring dance, video productions and creative experiments in painting, right through to participatory furniture-making or redesigning the walls of the facilities: the participants’ learning processes and experiences are as diverse as the artists’ expertise and the facilities themselves.

Participation is free of charge for the facilities as well as for the children and teenagers.

Scientifically researched

The study ‘Cultural and Aesthetic Experiences in Child and Youth Welfare’ examined the ‘CultureLab’ with regard to the effectiveness of cultural education. The focus was on whether participation leads to (positive) changes in young people, whether experiences gained from the programme trigger new developments in the respective social institutions, and how participating artists assess their experiences in comparison with other projects.